NHL 09 (360 / PS3)

Tim7 said:
The revolutionary online feature will be 6v6 in NHL and 10v10 in FIFA. And both will be shit as there are too many knob-jockeys about.
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I think you're right on that, i just hope this time the NHL teamplay works for me, in NHL08 i never could even play 3 vs 3 online, never worked. The 5 vs 5 on FIFA worked fine almost all the time, but i really think that a 10 vs 10 will make the game a kind of a mess... At least in NHL we'll learn our properly position in the single player "be a pro" so when playing 6 vs 6 won't be 10 players rushing for the puck over the entire rink (well, i guess in some games it will happen :LOL:)
 
The mysteries are finally being revealed in E3! The new online revolutionary system that will appear on all EA Sports games could be seen in the latest NBA Live 09 video. It won't be 6 vs 6 online, it will be DAILY PLAYER UPDATE, creating a REAL DAILY SCENARIO for the teams. I just think that in case of FIFA09 the update will be more weekly than daily becouse of the higher number of players.
 
YoungGun_UK said:
I think there is probably enough fifa gamerss for 09 now heres a few of the top of my head sorry if i miss you out

Me
PBorehame
SJP76
DJdoc
Matherto
Metallica
Proxi
Radiation
Dags

There are the most common people here i guess, sorry if i missed anyone out but there the few that i now are here often.
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You can add me to that list mate
 
Was just a random list of people i thought that will get 09, just saying 09 will have plenty of gamers :))
 
NHL 09 Producer Blog - David Littman (Important Notes)

Posted 07.24.2008

Hey guys, David Littman here, Just wanted to say hi and sneak a couple of features out to everyone.

This is the most realistic game of hockey I have ever played in a video game. Obviously you guys will have to judge it for yourselves (and talk amongst yourselves about how we say that every year), but there are so many moments that just feel like hockey. We have balanced offense vs. defense to a point where there are some games where you will get lots of great scoring chances, and there are some games where you will only get a few. It all depends upon how you play.

More than ever you have to change up your style. Some CPU (and user) teams will play more of a trap style where you will have to dump and chase just to get the puck over the blueline. It is not a game of "take the puck down the wing all the time and gain the zone every time". You will also notice CPU defenseman are much more aggressive in front of the net, especially on the two higher skill levels. Even on Pro (default skill level) you won't always feel like you are on a power play like last year.

The other realistic part of the game is that for the first time I can remember, it is tough to get the puck out of your own zone. With the more aggressive CPU AI and the new forecheck strategies you can actually forecheck and cause turnovers. CPU players block passing lanes and sweep their sticks (which users can do also) to block and intercept passes that also make it tougher to leave your defensive zone. You can create your own breakout strategies to counter this, or like real NHL defensemen use the net as an obstacle, make smarter passes and when in doubt...dump it out. When an opposing team goes into a 3-2 style forecheck (3 forwards attacking the puck) which the CPU teams will do when they are down a goal with a few minutes left, dump the puck out (so you won't complain about catch-up AI).

Here are some other bits of info:

1. The default defensive control setting is:

Right stick is checking
Right bumper (R1 on PS3) is poke
Holding down the right bumper/R1 is an auto poke sweep
Holding down the right bumper/R1 and using the right stick is manual poke sweep

You can switch (basically reverse of above) to a different defensive control setting:

Right stick is defaulted to poke and sweep
Hold right bumper/R1 plus right stick to check

With the choice of control you can default to the set up you will use most. Some users check a lot, and some poke a lot. Checking is NOT easier this year (as I joked with Brian on a recent podcast). It is actually harder, and that is why Brian could not throw a check. :) We got rid of the hip checks and the big warping checks. Basically checking is similar to when you have the puck. Your left stick is your skates and skating direction, while the right stick is your upper body. Last year the right stick controlled your direction when hitting, so it just did not feel right. This also makes clearing the front of the net easier. Your defensemen can stand still and just use their upper bodies to clear the slot, while they still stay in position.

2. Loose pucks and one on one battles

This is the first video hockey game where I have seen users with the puck slow down on odd man rushes to see what plays develop and to see if they can bait the D-man into being overly aggressive. It is the first hockey video game I have seen where players bump and battle as they try and get loose pucks (there are way more loose pucks this year with our much improved puck physics and bounces, and blocked passing lanes).

3. Passing

Passing is not always tape to tape like last year. Although if you have a clear passing lane and you are facing the receiver, most passes will be great passes. We tried to put error on passing (based on passing attributes), and believe me, it is frustrating (there is a bit, but probably not as much as the realism junkies want). We did put more of a penalty on passes behind your back, and there is a huge penalty when trying to pass out of the one handed protect puck.

4. You can set period times by intervals of one (from 4 minute periods to 20 minute periods).

5. Demo - Yes we are doing one, and we are looking at giving you a small taste of Be a Pro, and a harder skill level. Before you guys ask though, we will have regular gameplay in the demo as well. So, Be a Pro and regular gameplay will be playable!
 
NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot

GameSpot: Tell us about the development of the EA Sports Hockey League in NHL 09. What was the goal with the EASHL feature, and what was the toughest challenge you ran into when developing this feature?

David Littman: When we came up with this idea, it was directly related to the fact that everybody on our team at one point or another wanted to be a professional hockey player. Some did play high-level hockey, but others, who are big hockey fans, wanted to get that experience as well. So we took our online team play experience from last year and discussed taking the next logical step--a full six-on-six [game] but with an environment where everybody is a unique player in the world.

More to the point, we want to make the people sitting at home into superstars. Instead of wearing someone else's name on the back of your jersey when playing online, it is your name on the back. Your team is trying to win the EASHL Championship and you will feel the pressure to perform for your teammates. With our performance tracker feature, you are graded on how well you play hockey, not on how well you play a video game. The leaderboards show the real names of people instead of their gamertags. This is the first step for people to become the next sports superstars. In a few years, we want there to be SportsCenter-style highlights and interviews with our gamers.

The EA Sports Hockey League is an extension of both our new six-on-six online team play and our Be a Pro mode that we created this year. With the online team play portion of our game going to six-on-six this year, we really wanted to focus on the idea that it's you that is trying to be the star. To accomplish this we took what we did with the offline Be a Pro mode, where you are trying to become an NHL legend, and decided to bring that created user online so the users can have the opportunity to be the best of the best in the EA Sports Hockey League. As I mentioned earlier, we feel it is a natural and important evolution of online team play.

Each club in the EA Sports Hockey League can have up to 50 members, but all games can have two to six players per club playing in a game. Everything a club or player does will be tracked and listed on the EA Sports Hockey League leaderboards as well as your individual performance tracker screen in your game.

The toughest challenge was the technical requirements to make the six-on-six experience a good one for the user. We want it to be a fun and immersive experience for everyone playing.

GS: How will prospective EASHL players meet and join teams online?

DL: Users will have the ability to create clubs that can have up to 50 players. A team must recruit players to their teams. This will be done through three ways: Friends is obviously the easiest way, as you can call up or message a buddy to invite them to play on your team. Another way is the ability to view the EA Sports Hockey League leaderboards and see player statistics and grades and then invite players who you feel would be a good fit for your team. You can invite anybody on the list, though some players could already be on teams. The final way is to talk to people online through our lobbies and recruit players to your team.

GS: Will you be able to create EASHL leagues? How will they work? How many teams will be able to participate in an EASHL league?

DL: The feature will have one league, the EA Sports Hockey League. All teams created are part of this league. The league runs off of the ranked ladder system where the best teams will be on top, but the ladder has been separated into divisions so you can see teams that are close to your team's skill level. You can go up and down divisions based on your team's performance. Getting into the first division is a big accomplishment for a club. In terms of points, you earn more by playing with more players in a game and by beating better opponents as opposed to beating low-ranked clubs with only two users from your club participating.


GS: Will there be a free-agency pool that already-formed teams can recruit from? Will you be able to see stats from a free agent's previous games? Will free agents age or improve their attributes as they play?

DL: The free-agent pool is anybody that is not assigned to a team. These players can play ranked online team play matches with their created Be a Pro characters to accumulate statistics and grades so you can see how good they are in the EA Sports leaderboards. Players not on teams can still improve the same way as the players on a club by playing games and performing well. They will earn online hockey cards giving them points to purchase attributes for their characters.

GS: Will there be an integrated storyline in the EASHL game mode?

DL: The story we want to tell our users is that each player in the EA Sports Hockey League is striving to be the best at what they want to do, whether that means being the best goalie in the world or the best playmaker. The leaderboards aren't about how many wins and losses you have as an individual using the teams off the disc, but it's about the character that you have brought online and how good you are as an individual player in helping your club win. You are trying to become an EA Sports Hockey League legend.


Your team is also trying to win the first-ever EASHL Cup. We will have a real cup that the winning team will get to keep and prizes for the winning team and EASHL all-stars.

GS: Will you be able to play multiple seasons?

DL: There are no seasons in the EA Sports Hockey League. It is built through a leaderboard system and will have teams move up and down the rankings similar to versus gameplay online.

GS: How will teams that dissolve midseason be handled?

DL: Since there are no seasons, teams that have stopped participating for a period of time will be removed from the club rankings and removed from the server. The players on those teams will then become free agents again.

GS: Will there be a commissioner like in NCAA Football's online dynasty?

DL: EA Sports is the commissioner of the league. This league is officially sanctioned by EA, and they will be the governing body of it.

GS: How will your created player progress over time? Will his stats improve, then gradually decrease as he ages?

DL: When you first create your player, you will choose a player or goalie type. Based on this player type each player will start with a character template, which is their attribute set when going online.

There are 10 player types, each with their own template for attributes.

Forwards: dangler, grinder, playmaker, power forward, sniper
Defensemen: defensive defenseman, offensive defenseman
Goalie: stand up, hybrid, butterfly

As in our Be a Pro mode, we will have hockey cards, which a player can earn online. These cards give you points to spend on your player's growth in three areas: offense, defense, and athleticism for players and reflexes, puck control, and athleticism for goalies.

Similar to other massively multiplayer games, there will be no aging when a player earns the cards and distributes the points to his character. As you level up you will maintain those points for the rest of your online career. If a player should choose to change his player type, then the points that he has earned will be given back to the user to redistribute among the ratings.

GS: Will you be allowed to switch positions midway through your career?

DL: When creating your Be a Pro character, you will choose what your preferred position is; this will allow club GMs to know this information, but, when going into the dressing room to play, there will be times where you can't play your preferred position because someone else chose to be that position that game. Anybody can play any position, similar to playing recreation league hockey--you sometimes have to fill in at a position that you aren't used to. Versatility will be key in becoming a legend online.


GS: How will players communicate in-game? Is it just via voice chat, or are there some other graphical cues to help you discern what's going on, such as when a teammate is calling for the puck?

DL: Players can communicate in many ways within a club. There are club blogs, which lets players know the coming and goings of players, as well as a private message board for the team.

On the ice there will be full voice chat. The user is given guidance on where to be on the ice, but the decision making with the puck is up to each user, and there will not be graphical cues for users to know which teammates are calling for the puck. We didn't want to clutter the screen with a bunch of visual cues, as a user could have four different cues for calling for a pass. After playing a few games, people start to figure out quickly that dancing through a whole team is not an easy task, so teamwork becomes key.

GS: Thanks for your time, David.
 
The game is almost out!!!! We already have reviews of it:

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/908/908072p1.html

IGN SOCRE 9.0

"NHL 09 Review
One of the best sports franchises around has upped its game yet again.
by Nate Ahearn

September 5, 2008 - A championship season is both a blessing and a curse. Obviously, everyone always wants to come out on top, but doing so raises expectations considerably for the next year. Such is the case with NHL 09 whose predecessor is widely regarded as one of the best sports games in memory. Luckily, this year's hockey offering from EA Sports not only doesn't disappoint, it raises the bar set by NHL 08 in nearly every way, from awesome new modes to slight refinements, to the already stellar controls.

The first feature that hockey nuts are going to want to dive into is Be A Pro. As soon as NHL 09 begins, you're prompted to create your virtual likeness, complete with all the customization options that you'd expect from today's crop of sports games. You'll find more licensed products than you can shake a stick at, plenty of hairstyles and lots of other little nuances to toy around with.

From there you're given a brief tutorial on the right analog stick controls and then it's time to jump into your fledging career. You'll begin in the AHL unless you elect to control an already established NHL player (aka the weak sauce route). Before heading into your career, be warned, Be A Pro is a mode that is built to last quite some time.

Each attribute for your player needs to be advanced individually and with experience points being handed out in increments as low as 16 (it takes over 200 points to advance some attributes a single point) there's little question that you could spend dozens of hours with the mode. You'll slowly work your way from the third line of your minor league squad and, if your talents impress the coaches enough, you'll get bumped up to the big time.

On the ice, Be A Pro is very similar to what we've seen from other EA Sports franchises. The camera angle drops down behind your player for a more intimate perspective on things. The game allows you to call for the puck and direct your players to shoot when you feel it's appropriate, but for the most part you are controlling your player and your player alone.

Of course, you can't be on the ice all the time. That just wouldn't be realistic. Instead, you'll have to also manage when to come off and back on to the ice. It adds a big strategy element that is usually missing from a standard game where line changes are set to be handled by the AI by default. If you call for a line change to come off the ice when your opponent is attacking you're leaving your defense wide open for a goal. You'll need to dump the puck deep into their zone and then make the swap, and the same goes for coming back on to the ice.

It's that kind of realism that really drives NHL 09. If you play your position properly, chances are you'll find success, both in the eyes of your coach who breaks down your performance throughout the game, as well as on the ice. Your coach's advice does get a tired in a hurry, but it's usually quite accurate.

Another nod to the realism of the gameplay in NHL 09 is the discrepancy that you'll see when making the jump from AHL to NHL. As you'd expect, the minors feel like the minors. Long passes go astray, shots are less accurate and the skating isn't as precise. Get the bump to the show and you'll see the difference. Just as you should.

But for as awesome as Be A Pro is, it does bring its fair share of issues to the table. The camera, for one, can be a bit squirrely, sometimes rotating a full 360 degrees, which can make tracking the puck a bit of an issue. There are also framerate issues that, while they are present in every mode, are more prevalent in Be A Pro for whatever reason. The stuttering typically only happens during close up camera pans and replays, but it's still a slight annoyance.

Despite its few flaws, Be A Pro is still where most will spend the bulk of their time. For others, EA Sports Hockey League brings the Be A Pro gameplay style online for the first time. It's a persistent online league. Every player on the ice is human-controlled (including the goalie, which is surprisingly fun) and it makes for some of the best hockey seen in video games.

Providing you can get a group of players who know what they're doing and how to take advantage of their player's specialties and positions, the Hockey League can be a real blast. The same deep stat tracking and attribute progression that is seen in the offline mode is available online, but since your personas are separate, there's no persistence between the two. Attributes need to be built separately, thus doubling the length of the game's two biggest modes.

The dynasty mode is just as large and expansive as ever, but doesn't really deviate from what was seen in last year's game. There's still awesome attention to detail, like being able to check a free agent's team preference and scout guys for recruiting purposes throughout the season. You can also send guys up and down from your AHL and NHL rosters should their performance warrant a change. The only thing that's really missing is the ability to do things like set ticket and concession prices and make modifications to your team's stadium. The on-ice action is also largely unchanged except for one new addition.

The flip dump pass is something that has been added to NHL 09 and its presence is also felt in the Create Play mode. You'll now be able to sculpt breakout players where, should you nail the timing, you can dump the puck into your opponent's zone while your teammates streak up the ice to retrieve your pass. It's tough, but once you score a goal from one of your created breakout plays, the reward is worth the effort.

The core hockey action that drives the standard five-on-five play is very similar to what was seen in NHL 08. A few tweaks have been made to the artificial intelligence so that the CPU's defense is a bit tougher and more aggressive than it was last year, but most everything else is the same.

Collisions have been retooled and now feel much more natural. You'll need to preload your hits a bit more than in the past, but the reward is great. Players can quite literally have their skates wind up above their head after some of the pops delivered on the rink.

Graphically NHL 09 is reminiscent of what was seen last year which is both good and bad. On the up side the player models feature nice details, like facial animations, on close ups and doing the "Gretzky Tuck" with their jersey. Animations are also very intricate, especially on the massive collisions that are in the game. Crowd detail has also been stepped up a notch as there are now more varied models that react to the on-ice action better than they have in the past.

Of course those details do come at a price. The framerate is fairly unstable during replays and close ups, but thankfully it doesn't hurt the core gameplay. There are also rare moments of collision detection issues.

The audio side brings back the classic duo of Gary Thorne and Bill Clement to deliver their solid as ever commentary. They've been some of the best in the video game sports business for some time now and this year is no different. Their quips are insightful, accurate and sound as authentic as any other game out there. The soundtrack itself is solid, but songs are repeated for intros and goals. Luckily all of that stuff is customizable. Hits, slapshots and the goal horn all sound as realistic as you would expect.

Closing Comments
NHL 09 isn’t just a great hockey game, it’s one of the best sports games to be released in the last decade. It takes the right analog stick controls first pioneered in last year’s game and pushes them forward ever so slightly while pouring on features that everyone from newbies to diehards will appreciate. The only question remaining is how they’ll follow this sports game of the year contender once next season rolls around."



*I know that IGN is a little suspicious after giving 9.0 to PES2008 last year, but from the demo of NHL09 i can say that for this game their review is accurated! :LOL:
 
gomito#10 said:
NHL 08 was not that good... very very overated
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i disagree with you, i think it was well rated. it got great reviews for it gameplay, for the spetacular controls that made it the sports game more fun to play last year. i know it had lots of flaws, specially on game modes and offline season, but for online play the game was sure the best. it was the only game that i played since it was released to last week, when i got the demo.

i like very nuch the other hockey series too, from 2k sports, and i believe that their game this year will be a good competitor. i really enjoy to play a season with a created team and fantasy roster, one thing that will only be avaiable on NHL2K9, so i guess i'll get both games this year, NHL 09 for online games, and NHL2K9 for an offline season...
 
Honome_WEC said:
i disagree with you, i think it was well rated. it got great reviews for it gameplay, for the spetacular controls that made it the sports game more fun to play last year. i know it had lots of flaws, specially on game modes and offline season, but for online play the game was sure the best. it was the only game that i played since it was released to last week, when i got the demo.

i like very nuch the other hockey series too, from 2k sports, and i believe that their game this year will be a good competitor. i really enjoy to play a season with a created team and fantasy roster, one thing that will only be avaiable on NHL2K9, so i guess i'll get both games this year, NHL 09 for online games, and NHL2K9 for an offline season...
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well i mean i liked the game, dont get me wrong. But just thought the players did not stand out for me. I couldnt tell alex ovechking apart from a defenseman... i will get this game this week i think.. :) but it did not touch the nba 2k series at all last year, not with ten foot pole, that game was the best sports game by far last year
 
i didn't like much 2k9, they took out from the game all that was fun for me, create a team and play a franchise with fantasy draft, that was the way i played more 2k8, so i rather be playing nhl09 online AND offline becouse at least i can create my team and play a dinasty with it...
 
i ordered the game from gamestop.com and played a few matches on the ps3.
it's a really great game an i started a dynastie on "pro" level with the Tampabay Lightnings.

does someone else has the game already? there's one thing i do not like.
if your line gets fatigued the line-change window pops up automatically and the framrerate goes slightly down which destroys the flow a bit.
i didn't find any option to turn this off.

very great sportsim btw...
 
Honome_WEC said:
i didn't like much 2k9, they took out from the game all that was fun for me, create a team and play a franchise with fantasy draft, that was the way i played more 2k8, so i rather be playing nhl09 online AND offline becouse at least i can create my team and play a dinasty with it...
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i hear you, but the players in 2k9 are different from one another, in nhl 09 there all the same. Its like pro evo vs fifa argument, but 2k9 gameplay is very very good. Althought the AI of the pc sucks, but online is a beast, online on 2k9 is way better IMO
 
gomito#10 said:
i hear you, but the players in 2k9 are different from one another, in nhl 09 there all the same. Its like pro evo vs fifa argument, but 2k9 gameplay is very very good. Althought the AI of the pc sucks, but online is a beast, online on 2k9 is way better IMO
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i will disagree with you again... :LOL:

the NHL09 online is THE BEST OF ANY SPORT GAME! on versus or on team play 6 vs 6 it's too good to be compared with 2k9, i tried playing 2k9 online and the games are always 9-8 or 7-6 or other very high scores... i guess it is the only thing that's like the argument fifa vs pes2008.

have you ever played a team play online on nhl09??? it's simply fantastic. i agree that it have some problems and only 50% of the games begins becouse of connection, but after you play it you become really addicted. the EASHL is really the future of online sports games.
 
Honome_WEC said:
i will disagree with you again... :LOL:

the NHL09 online is THE BEST OF ANY SPORT GAME! on versus or on team play 6 vs 6 it's too good to be compared with 2k9, i tried playing 2k9 online and the games are always 9-8 or 7-6 or other very high scores... i guess it is the only thing that's like the argument fifa vs pes2008.

have you ever played a team play online on nhl09??? it's simply fantastic. i agree that it have some problems and only 50% of the games begins becouse of connection, but after you play it you become really addicted. the EASHL is really the future of online sports games.
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you played 2k9 and your scores were 7-6? what? i havent seen that at all mate

i have had like 3-2, 2-1, etc... no ihavent play nhl 09 yet, but i played the demo and it did not seem much different from 08.
 
gomito#10 said:
you played 2k9 and your scores were 7-6? what? i havent seen that at all mate

i have had like 3-2, 2-1, etc... no ihavent play nhl 09 yet, but i played the demo and it did not seem much different from 08.
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so, let's play it someday!

my gametarg is: Honome
 
ok i got nhl 09 rented it, same as last year to me offline, you can ping the puck around like pro evo 2007 on the xbox 360, this is not real hockey. i cant beleive this game gets such great reviews when 2k9 online is the most realistic sim hockey game i have ever played. The 2k9 league website is kick ass as well.
 
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